Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-04-03
BACK VIEWS.
SOME PEOPLE YOU CAN SEB on OUR STREETS
EVERY DAY.
A Story Of a Grseian Philosopher, Which Has q
Moa-Wheh Moral IS Applied in
This Article.

Back in the early days Of Greece, way
hack before Homer was born in seven dlt-
ferent cities on the same night, one Socra-
tes is said to have remarked to a gathering
on the top steps of the Parthenon: Let
me make the faces of a people, and care
not who makes their backs" Authorities
differ ~ to the cause of this statement,
but il has been pretty we'll decided that
Socrates spoke from PERSONAL experience
In fact the police records of the Central
Station in Athens show that on the evening
of March 10, B. c. Al, one OF the Greek
cons brought in one Zokratus ON the charge
of monkeying with the public peace, and
creating a disturbance near the Agora.
Probably the Zokratus vas intended Tor
Socrates, who very likely did not try to
pronounce his name any too plainly, and
the police lieutenant took it down by
sound, as they sometimes do to-day. The
hearing, which was attended by the repor-
ter Of the Athenian JOlksbIOtt, and which
Is fully detailed in a volume recently dug
ND lust outside of Athens, brought out the
fact that Socrates was walking through the
fish market bandying poor philosophy and
worse Jokes about scales and perch anu
bass with the hucksters, when he saw ahead
of him the back of a Roman matron. She
was rugged out in great style, and when he
cav her he babe the fish hucksters goodbye
saviny as he went: 81 will hook on to that
female myself, or I'm a line" Saying this,
he started on ut a lively gait after the ma
trop, followed by three hucksters' cleavers,
one of which struck him on the foot, D
carried off the heel of his right sandal. lie
kept ON, however, and gradually gained
ON the mqtron and came up to her, after q
chase of about six squares. He prepared
himself for a great Grecian bend; but, Just
as he was about to make a remark that
would have paralyzed her, she turned
around. and-iust his luck-'twas Nan
tippe again! "By the gods" was all be
could say, sis this you, fair wife?' Don't
fair wife me-" said she of the quick tongue.
''You thought, you hald-headed old phiios-
opher, that [ was some fair Grecian maid,
aud chased Inc for blocks, hoping to make
a mash on me. III mash you! Now, don't
talk 10 me, | know you too well, you old
uuibbler." So saying, she hit him over
the head with her praasol, ana pulien
about eight skeins of struggling hair from
his almost bald pate. Officer Hoppocratus
came along and arrested him for an assault
ON a woman. He was given n ride to the
Central Station house in the patrol chariot,
and. after a hearing, was fined 200 drachm,e
and costs, making in all $50 drachme. He
did not have the money, and was sent over
the Ilissus for thirty days. He had Just
gotten out again when he met his friends
climbing up the AcrOpOlis, and when he
reached the top steps OF the ~Parthenon, as
stated once before, he made this wise re-
mark: LET me make the faces of the peO-
pie, and ! care not who maketheir backs.
The object of all this eruditiOn and the re-
cital of this said incident in the life of a
great man is to teach you one thing: Never
Judge people by their backs, or you will
get Yourself into trouble. If the writer Of
this and the artist who made the cuts you
will probably find below can get you to take
his advice, they will feel satisfied that they
have done a noble work, and will add to
the rewards they expect to get when life is
ended.
Now, take for example this maiden. You